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I will be presenting the topic – “introduction to prairie ecology, prairie management and keystone plants of the prairie” for the Louisiana Master Naturalists of New Orleans’ URBAN ECOLOGY workshop on Saturday March 19th as a guest instructor. This workshop session is only open to those registered for the Master Naturalist program.

key take aways for the LMN presentation and field trip to Scout Island Prairie Habitat

5. Prairies are adorned with colorful flowers through the growing season.

6. Many prairie plants provide forage for wildlife. Birds feast on the plump fatty seeds of composites like Compass Plant. Butterflies abound in the prairie, sipping nectar from their sun-loving food sources. Dragonflies hunt using strategic aerial feats to hone in on prey.

7. Most prairie plants are able to withstand extreme environmental conditions. Troublesome or unsightly areas of the landscape with baking sun and heavy clay soils are often ideal sites on which to establish a prairie garden. Prairie plantings can be used to reclaim wasteland in many cases.

9. Prairie plants are tough and resilient once established. Within 3 to 5 years after sowing, most micro-prairies are self-sustaining. Once established they will produce flowers and valuable seed for many years.

(Gail Barton, Meadowmakers catalog, 2007 – – yardflower.com).

10. The restored prairie habitat serves as an outdoor classroom and as a “people pasture” (Madison, 1982)

11. There is a certain “revery” just being in a wildflower meadow, but the “revery” redoubles with the restoration of such a habitat. The gardener senses a deep feeling of “self-worth” that grows with each succeeding year as the gardener observes the plants and their biotic associates redevelop a sustainable habitat. (Vidrine and Borsari, 1998)

Monarchs on Eupatorium serotinum, Mandeville, Louisiana, September 2015. This is why you don’t want to weed out your Eup serotinum. Its a generalist but its a superb nectar plant, as most Eups are. Thanks John Broderick for the image. John sent me other photos of this planting which is right at the edge of a side walk downtown.

Was encouraged, inspired by my friend Charles Allen to start participating in the Firefly watch, initiated by the Boston Museum of Science https://legacy.mos.org/fireflywatch/ I have a pretty good population of fireflies on the property here on the edge of Covington’s corp limit. Participate if’n you can! We need more southerners involved.

Walker Wilson selfie and me drip torchin’ the crescendo backing fire to slow down the head fire roaring at me – above

Heather Wilson, Dr. Allen, and Stacy Huskins after the burn. Laddering effect on a juvenile pine….and a cool ephemeral Mayapple in flower – Thanks Walker Wilson, for permission to share these burn photos!

I’m pining for some Pine.

a hitchhiker Katydid on Chuck Allen’s shoulder, just after we finished his controlled burn. Katydid hang out with the cool folks…. 🙂

Met with the famous team of Horticulturists Steve and Jake on my way to Vernon Parish Friday. Saw Jake’s new organic veggie plantings and his new tiller – not just any old tiller but a real deal farm tiller. Go Jake! Jake is honing his veggie cut flower skills and will be in production soon with his new leased farmland. Steve graduates this fall with a masters degree in grooviness. Pretty sure Steve is responsible for “weeding” the prairie garden at Hamilton Hall – U of La. @ Lafayette. Naw, couldn’t have been Steve. Oh, the mysteries of life….

Jake and Steve and I had shrimp poboys for lunch, bought and brought by none other than the Maestro himself, Professor Jim Foret. Prof. Jim had lunch with us and then it was off the the old Landfill, City of Lafayette, where in 1998 they, through the inspiration of Lafayette city employee Betty Vidrine, got help (and seed) from the Cajun Prairie Society for their Landfill prairie restoration. They have managed it, generally, with fire – for these years and there were some good spots where it was obvious the grasses were pretty thick, photo below

We toured the prairie gardens back in 2001 or 2 during a Cajun Prairie Society field trip and it was just a whippersnapper then, in early stages of natural succession. Friday we consulted with Regulatory Compliance- Environmental Quality Officer- Jackie Tidwell. I will write a report on what we saw sometime soon; observations and advice, etc.

above, prairie on left and turf, right. notice the methane vent in the distance and the height of the landfill (house in the distance). This is the highest spot in Lafayette Parish.

google-earth prairie patches

Turn your City Landfill into a prairie habitat today! Makes for excellent use of space, rather than mowing, turns garbage into a wildlife habitat and party place! There’s gold in them-thar’ hills!!!!!!

cool Luna Moth at Dr. Allen’s. We just saw this one since it was so cool at night. He has eight or so white sheets that are lit with screw-based black lights but he just added a mercury vapor light and he says it really brings them in. He had eleven Lunas on his sheets yesterday, including many other moths. Can you say hero?

I met with Latimore Smith, John Mayronne, and City of Covington – Keep Covington Beautiful Director Priscilla Floca yesterday so Latimore could share his brilliance with us. Latimore is one of the leading ecologists in the state and works for the Nature Conservancy, guiding their huge land holdings through active natural management techniques. He shared some really great ideas which we will most definitely put into action. Thanks to the TNC and Latimore for his valued input!!!